Buckle



- UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Leners Patent Nol 371,656. dated February '1, laca.

Application filed June 28, 1887. Serial No. 242.801.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER P. WAD- DELL, of Union City, in the county of Obion and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention-relates to a buckle designed especially for use as a' trace-carrier to be attached to the backstrap of harness, wherein a flexible strap, preferably of heavy drilling, is passed over the animals back and through the buckle in such manner that the hook and staple on the buckle, which form the eye for the tracelink, are securely closed and held together by the tension ofthe band upon the buckle, and which reduce the pull on the spurs of the buckle by passing the band over friction-bars, so as to preventwear of the band, as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation showing the preferred form of construction; Fig. 2, a section in line xx of Fig. 1. Fig. 3-is a face view of a buckle constructed according to my invention, and embodying a modification of the hinge-connection of the plates; and Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 3.

The buckle A is composed of two plates, 1 and 2, hinged together at 3. The plate 1 has a keeper, 4, which passes through an opening, 5, in the plate 2, and the plate 2 has a hook, 6, which when closed engages with the keeper 4 and holds the link of the trace upon the buckle. The plate 1 of the buckle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, has cross-bars 7 and 8 at its upper end andaslot, 9, atitslower end,around and through which slot the belly-strap C of the harness is passed to secure the buckle thereto, and the plate 2 has spurs 10, which pass through .the back-strap B, and. serve both to hold the platesA 1 and 2 together and to close the hook 6 securelyupon the keeper 4, and thus lock the link of the trace upon the buckle. The upper end of the plate 1 is rounded at 11 to secure a good bearing over which the strap A may be drawn, and the bars 7 and 8 are egg-shaped in crosssection,-the ends of largest diameter being arranged as shown in Fig. 2, to present-a greater bearingsurface to the strap and economize space.

The sections or plates 1 and 2 are perforated at 12 to lighten and ventilate the sections, and

(No model.)

the section 1 has pads 13 secured to it by stitches passing th rough the said perforations 12, which prevent the buckle from @hating or injuring ythe animal by rubbing against it. The keeper 4 is recessed atg14 to receive a jaw, 15, upon the hook 6 and interlock the said hook with the keeper and effectively pre- Vent the displacement of the trace-link from the hook, unless the plate 2 is swung out a considerable distanceV from the plate 1.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the plate 1 has ears 16, to which the bars 7 and 8 are lpermanently secured, and which have hingeprojections 17 entering openings 18 in lugs or ears upon the upper corners of plate 2. In both forms of construction hereinbefore described the strap B passes under the bar 7, over the bar 8, and around theroundedportion 11 of the plate 1. From thence the strap passes under said plate to the lower edge thereof, and then through the slot 9, and, being pierced by the spurs 10 of the plate 2, is held securely upon the buckle. /The buckle may be adjustedl upon the strap by rst drawing the strap down until it is sufficiently slack to be disengaged yfrom the spurs 10, and the buckle then moved thereon to the position required.

'Ihe construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 comprises a plate, 1, having a keeper, 4, and a slot, 19, and ears 16 at its upper end and a slot, 9, at its lower end. The plate 2 has a hook, 6, which engages with the keeper 4 of plate 1, spurs 10 upon the lower edge thereof,

and ears 21 at the upper end thereof. A bar,

22, passes through the ears 16 and 21 of plates 1 and 2, and serves not only to secure them together, but provides a bar around which the strap B may be passed to provide a frictionbearing similar to that employed in the devices shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the con-.

struction shown in Fig. 4, last described, the strap passes up' through slot 19, around the bar 22, thence down through the slot 19, and under the plate 2 to the slot 9, and up through said slot. rIhespurs 10 are then passed through the strap to secure the buckle upon it andhold the hinged plate closely folded upon the sliding plate of said buckle.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a trace-carrier buckle, the combina- `outwardly-projecting keeper, of the plate 2,

hinged to the plate 1, having a hook to receive the trace-link, and an opening, 5, in the same, through which the keeper of the plate l may project, substantially as described.

3. In a trace-carrier buckle, the combination, with the sliding plate 1, having crossbars and slots to receive the strap, of ahinged plate, 2, having a hook to receive the trace link, and spurs upon its swinging edge, which Y project across the slot 9 and pass through the said strap, substantially as described. j

4. In a trace-carrier buckle, the combination, with the sliding plate l, having crossv bars 7 and S, of egg-shaped cross-section, arranged as herein described, ofa rounded plate,

11, and a slot, 9, over and through which the strap to whichthe buckle is secured may be passed, substantially as described.

5. In a trace-carrier buckle, the combination, with the sliding platel, of the recessed keeper 4 and the plate 2, hinged to said sliding plate, having an opening, 5, through which lsaid keeper may pass, and a hook, 6, formed .to support the trace-link and interlock with the recess in the keeper, substantially as described.

6. A plate, 2, having a hook, 6, formed to support a trace, and an opening, 5, combined with a plate, 1, pivotally connected with plate 2, and having a keeper, 4, which projects through opening 5 and adjacent to the hook 6,

whereby to retain the trace in engagement therewith, substantially as set forth.

7. In a trace-carricr buckle, the perforated sliding plate 1, and the hinged plate 2, and a pad, 13, secured to the perforations of plate 1, substantially as described.

ALEXANDER P. XVADDELL.

Witnesses:

FRANKO. VATfrs, H. L. ELDER. 

